Seal hunting then and now.
On Friday, February 20, Arctic veteran Bjørne Kvernmo from Alta will come to the Ishavsmuseet. Bjørne started fishing in the Arctic in 1973, and he is an experienced fisherman, shooter, skipper and fisherman, and is still active with more than 40 years behind him on the Arctic Ocean. He has been in the Arctic Ocean with the ships Norvarg, Heimen, Veslemari, Arnt Angel, Harmoni, Polarstar, Polarfangst, Polarboy and Havsel. Today he is skipper and fisherman for the ship "Havsel". In recent years he has fished in the West Ice, but he has experience from all fishing grounds.
After 41 years of seal hunting, 2015 could mean the end for Arctic sea captain and sealer Bjørne Kvernmo. The Solberg government has this year discontinued support for this traditional industry, and then it will be difficult to continue. When Kvernmo started in the Arctic Ocean in 1973, there were still around 30 seal hunting ships with 500 men in the field, and it was still the small wooden ships that dominated. If he decides to go into the ice this year, he could be the only ship in the Arctic Ocean.
In 2014, Bjørne and Havsel came south and delivered their catch in Tjørvåg.
Bjørne says that he is impressed by what the Ishavsmuseet has achieved at Brandal, and that he is looking forward to returning there to give a lecture. He will show both pictures and films during his lecture.
In 1990 he published the book "Selfangsten, en utdøende tradisjon?" (Sea Sealing, a Dying Tradition?). An excellent book with a lot of good seal hunting history. In the end of his book he takes stock of all the hype that seal hunting has had to contend with. After a seal hunting inspector again caused a ruckus after the 1988 season, Bjørne was an avid debater in the media. He also wrote a letter to Sweden's King Karl Gustav and invited him to go seal hunting, after the king had come out and criticized Norwegian seal hunting and seal killing methods. Did he get a response? We may find out at the Ishavsmuseet on Friday, February 20.
Bjørne is also known from several television programs where he has been a celebrity, ice pilot and skipper for several expeditions.
At the Ishavsmuseet he talks about "Seal hunting then and now".
After Kvernmo's lecture, the Ishavsmuseet invites you to "Codfish mussels" with fresh cod, liver, scallops and roe in the museum café. Registration required.
